In many information and communication technology systems, network-connected electronic devices are deployed in locations where a local electric power source is not available. With the proliferation of the Internet of Things (“IoT”), autonomous driving, fifth generation (“5G”) cellular service and the like, it is anticipated that network-connected electronic devices will be deployed at locations that lack a conventional electric power source with increasing frequency.
There are a number of ways to provide electric power to such remote network-connected electronic devices. For example, the local electric utility company can install a connection to the electric power grid. This approach, however, is typically both expensive and time-consuming, and unsuitable for many applications. Composite power-data cables can also be used to power remote network-connected electronic devices and provide data connectivity thereto over a single cabling connection. Composite power-data cables refer to cables that can transmit both electrical power and data. Power-over Ethernet (“PoE”) cables are one type of composite power-data cable. However, PoE technology has limitations in terms of both data communication throughput and the amount of power delivered, and these limitations become more restrictive the greater the distance between the remote network-connected electronic device and the PoE source. For example, under current PoE standards, high throughput data communications is only supported for cable lengths of up to about 100 meters, and even at these short distances the power delivery capacity is only about 100 Watts. Power-plus fiber cables are another example of a type of composite power-data cable that includes both power conductors and optical fibers within a common cable jacket. Power-plus-fiber cables, however, can be prohibitively expensive to install for many applications. Other known types of composite power-data cables include coaxial cables, telephone twisted pair cables with remote power feeding on some pairs and direct subscriber line (DSL) data on other pairs or with both power and DSL on the same pairs, and composite cables having larger conductors (e.g., 10-12 AWG) for power transmission and smaller gauge twisted pairs for data transmission.